Definition

Noun: 1. The savage and excessive killing of many people: An act of killing a large number of people, typically simultaneously or over a short period, characterized by its brutality and scale.

Usage

The term "mass murder" is used to describe a specific, horrific event involving multiple homicides. It is a formal and legal term often used in news reporting, criminology, and historical analysis. It focuses on the act itself and the number of victims.

Examples

• The historical record of the 20th century is scarred by several instances of mass murder.
• The police are investigating the shooting as an act of mass murder.
• The novel explores the psychological aftermath for a survivor of a mass murder.

Advanced Usage

• "Perpetrator of mass murder": This phrase specifies the individual who carries out the act.
  • The tribunal sought to bring the perpetrators of mass murder to justice.
• The term is often used in discussions about the legal and moral distinctions between different types of multiple killings, such as serial murder, spree killing, and genocide.

Variants and Related Words

• Mass murderer (noun): The person who commits mass murder.
  • The mass murderer was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Massacre (noun/verb): A close synonym, often implying cruel and indiscriminate slaughter, especially of a defenseless group.
• Genocide (noun): The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that group. This is a specific, legally defined category that often constitutes mass murder.

Synonyms

• Slaughter
• Carnage
• Butchery
• Annihilation (when referring to killing)

Related Phrases

• To commit mass murder: The verb phrase describing the action.
  • The dictator was accused of committing mass murder against his own people.

Noun

1. the savage and excessive killing of many people